The Five Question Challenge - Taken!

Five Questions

I was recently tagged by another educator to take part in a semi-viral blogging challenge. The task is relatively simple: write a post answering five general questions about your teaching practice. It should come as no surprise that the value comes from my writing and thinking - this writing is mostly for me!  But, I'm delighted to have the opportunity to share with Slicers.   

What has been your one biggest struggle this school year?

My biggest struggle this year has been between my desire to be in classrooms working on instructional leadership and the “day-to-day” of my life that interferes with this. My research continues about how to best work with teachers to support growth and reflection; earlier this year I participated in an “Instructional Leadership Challenge” that focused on the idea that the best way for me, as an instructional leader, to be able to increase student achievement, support teacher growth and be more knowledgeable about the professional development that different staff members might need is to be in classrooms more. In fact, the program suggests that I should be in the classrooms of those I supervise for 10-15 minute walkthroughs every two weeks. 

This is a struggle because I find myself very reactive to situations that I find on my doorstep: discipline issues, really long team meetings, CLT meetings, and the supervision of multiple lunch periods, daily. Add in to this, 13 probationary teachers – for whom I must do an additional observation before March 18^th – and a week and a half of snow days (although I’m not really complaining), and I’m behind in everything. Finding the balance among these things – but staying focused on being in classrooms talking with teachers, interacting with students, and keeping my finger on the pulse of teaching and learning at Jefferson – this is my goal.

Share two accomplishments that you are proud of this school year.

Ok – I was proud, earlier, of the more consistent walkthrough schedule that I had been able to get on. It was exciting to be in classes, and I saw such wonderful learning experiences for students. I had a couple of comments from teachers that they were glad to see me as well – and nice conversations focused on instruction ensued. Now – I’m wishing to get back to this.

Another accomplishment I’m proud of is the amount of work I have done with a few of the eighth graders that I supervise (and have since sixth grade). This group of eighth graders is the first group I have worked with for all of sixth, seventh and much of eighth grade. It has been really rewarding (perhaps only in the last couple of weeks) to see students begin to make their own decisions, or perhaps be able to reflect on their decisions, and verbalize what worked or what they might have done differently. Today in particular I met with a young man who stormed out of his English class when the teacher responded in a way that made him angry. I gave him a few minutes to calm down – and when he told me he was ready he ran me through the situation. I asked a few pointed questions, and when he turned to me and said “I might have highlighted and turned the paper in in a rude way,” and then he concluded that the teacher might be frustrated as well…this was a huge step forward. He developed a plan for how he was going to handle this situation - and he implemented it before the day was out.  It is exciting to see signs of maturity and growth.

I'll share the rest tomorrow!